Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-12-24

tween the pressure of the air and the aw-
ful sense Of the consequences that n slip
would entail, ! founl it necessary to 20
down on my hands and knees and crawl.
and SO did the other NO..
But She never condescended to this. On
she went, leaning her body against the
gusts OF wind, and never seeming to bso
her head or her balance.
In n few minutes we had crossed some
twenty PAGES of the awful bridge, which
got narrower at every step, and tilou ali Of
a sudden a great gust came tearing along
the gorge. | sow Ayesha lean herself
against II, but the strong draught got I'M
der her dark cloak, and tore it from her,
and away IL went down the wind, tapping
like a dying bird. 1T was dreadful TO see
it go, till it was lost al the %blackness.
chung to the saddle OF rock, and looked
round, while the great spur vibrated with
a hummins sound beneath Is, like a living
thing. The sight was "a truly awesome
one. There we were poised in the gloom
between earth and heaven. Beneath US
were hundreds upon hundreds of feet OF
emptiness tAat gradually grew darker and
darker, TIL ut last IL was absolutely black,
ana at what depth IL ended is more than /
can guess. Above were space upon space
OF glddY ar, and far, far away II line OF
blue SKY. And down this vast gulf upon
which we were pinnacled the great drau-ht
dashed and foared, driving clouds Ind
misty wreatlls 81 vapor before it, till ve
were nearly blinded, and utterly confused.
"A iOlc pOsiOioL NdS 50 lTelllSlllOuA
md 50 absolutely unearthiv. thatI believe
II actually ir'led our sense of terror, buttO
this hour | often see II in my dreams, and
wake mp covered with cold pcrspiration MT
its mere phantaev.
"On, onl' cried the white form before us,
for now the cloak had gone She WIS robed
I'm white. and looked more like u spirit rid
ing down the gale than q wornan; "on. or
We will fall and be dashed to nieces.. Keep
vour ewes fixed upo the ground and close
ly hug the rock"
We obeved her. and crept painfully along
the quivering path, AGAINST which the wind
shrfeked and walled as il shook IL. causing
IL TO murmur like n vast tuninC-fOrk. On
we went. ! do not know for how long, only
gazing round now and acain. when 1t was
absolutely necessary, until ut last we saw
that we were on the very tip of the snur, p
slab Of rock. little laryer than an ordinary
table, and that throbbed and jumped Hke
any o~verengined steamer. There we lay
or our stomachs. clin0ing to the ground,
and looked about while Aveshas stood lean
ing out against the wind, down which her
long hair screamed. aud, absolutely heed
less of the hideous depth that yawned be-
why the narrow plank, which job and l
Ind painfully dragged along between us,
had been provided. Before us was an
empty space, on the other side of which
was something, as vet we could not seB
what. for here-either TO the shadow
OF the opposite cliff, or from some other
cause.-the gloom was that Of night
"We must wait awhile called Ayesha;
'soon there will be light"
AT the moment / could notima0ine what
she meant. How could more lioht than
there was ever come to this dreadful spotr
Whilst | was still debating in nv mind,
suddenly. like n great sword OF flame. u
beam from the setting sun pierocd thu
Stygian gloom, and Smote upon the point
| OF rock whereon we lav, Illuminating Ave
sha's lovely form with M unearthlv splep-
dor. I only wish that I could describe the
wild and marvellous beauty, OF that sword
of fire. laid across the darkness and rush
ing mist wreaths of the gulf. How It got
there ] do not to this moment know. but
] presume there was some cleft or hole m
the opposing cliff through which IL pierced
when the setting orb was in n direct line
with it. All ! can sav Ia that the effect
was the most wonderful that | ever saw.
Right through the heart OF the darkness
that flaming sword was stabbed, and where
IL lay there was the most surprising vivid
light. so vivid that even at n distance one
could see the grain Of the rock, while. ont
side OF it-yes. within n few inches Of it's
keen edGe-there was naught but cluster
ing shadows.
And now, by this ray OF light. for which
She had been waiting. and timed our RI
rival 10 meet. knowing that at this season.
for thousands OF years 1t had always
struck thus nj sunset, we saw what Fly
before us. Within eleven or twelve feet
Of the very tip OF the ~tOngue-like rock
whereon we lav there arose, presumably
from the far bottom of TIE gulf, n sugar
loaf-shaped cone. OF which the summit
was exactly opposite to us. But had there
been n summit only it would not have
helped US much, for the nearest point OF
its circumference was some forty feet
from where we were. On the liz OF
this summit, however. which was circular
and hollow, rested Il tremendous fat stone,
something like n Glacier s~tone-ndeed,
,.la. 4 ,rno m for oil I Eanyu ia In
contrary-and the end Of his stone ap-
preached to within twelve feet or so Of us.
This huge bowlder was nothing more or
less than a gigantic r~ocking-stone, accur-
ately balanced upon the edge Of the como
or miniature crater. like q half crow: on
the rim OF n wineglass; for in the fierce
light that PLAYED upon il and us we could
see it oscillating in the gusts of wind.
Quick" said Ayesha; 1.-The plank-we
must cross while the light endures; pres
emily it will be gone"
ooh, Lord, STRIP groaned Job, ~"surcfy
she don't mean M To walk across that there
place on that there thing" rs In obedience
to my direction he pushed the long Board
toward me.
That's it, Job,"I halloocd, in CHASTITY
merriment, though the idea Of the plank
was no ~pleasanter to me than to him.
pushed the plank on to Ayesha, who
deity ran it across the gulf SO that one end
of it rested on the rocking-stone, the other
remaining on the extremity of our trpm-
bling spur. Then placing her foot uponit
to prevent it from being blown away, sl!c :
turned TO me.
''Since last I was here, oh, Hollyp' she
called, 1.-The support Of the moving stone
hath lessened somewhat, SO that ! am NOT
sure il il will bear our weight and fall or
no. Therefore will | cross the first, be-
cause no harm will come unto me-" and,
without further ado, she trod lightly but
firmly across the frail bridge, an in another
second was standing safe upon the heaying
stone.
at is SAFE" she called. 'See, bold thous
the plankl will stand on the further side
of ...e stone 80 that it may not over-Dal-
ance with your greater weights. Now,
will fail u.s."
struggled TO my knees, and IL ever !
felt sick III my life, l felt sick then, and /.
am not shalned TO SaY that 4 hest ated
ftNENM -~
NNAA~